Livin' La Vida Coldplay

Brit rockers target June 17 as release date for anticipated new album

By Josh Grossberg Apr 14, 2008 9:27 PMTags
ColdplayMichael Caulfield/WireImage.com

No, Chris Martin has not suddenly handed over the Coldplay reins to Ricky Martin.

But we understand any confusion after Mr. Gwyneth and his bandmates announced Monday they are targeting a June 17 street date for their highly anticipated fourth studio album, titled Viva la Vida.

The new effort, alternately named Death and All His Friends, will be released via Capitol Records and contains 10 tracks produced by Brian Eno.

Eno, of course, is the former Roxy Music keyboardist and legendary Grammy-winning producer who has toiled behind the boards for U2, Talking Heads, Devo and Paul Simon. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends marks his first collaboration with Martin & Co.

As fans might surmise by the title, the new material was influenced by Latin music, most notably with the inclusion of Spanish-style acoustic guitar. Viva la Vida is also a reference to the 1954 painting of the same name by Mexican art icon Frida Kahlo.

Viva la Vida is the follow-up to 2005's X&Y, which sold more than 10 million copies on the strength of such hits as "The Speed of Sound," "Talk" and "Fix You."

As with that release, Capitol parent EMI is banking on the new album to lift the record company's financial fortunes for 2009. Since a massive restructuring initiated by new management, the British conglomerate has seen numerous stock slumps and defections by some of its biggest acts, including Coldplay's idols, Radiohead.

When Coldplay announced a return to the studio last year, Martin said the upcoming album would see the band strike out in a new creative direction, hence inviting Eno to contribute his studio wizardry, and would also include one song that he described as "genius," a tune "everybody has to hear."

We're not sure which one is genius, but here is the full track list:

  1. "Life in Technicolor"
  2. "Cemeteries of London"
  3. "Lost!"
  4. "42"
  5. "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love"
  6. "Yes"
  7. "Viva la Vida"
  8. "Violet Hill"
  9. "Strawberry Swing"
  10. "Death and All His Friends"